If you've ever been in a car accident, been the victim of a slip and fall, or had your property damaged, you may have heard the term "tort law." But what exactly is tort law? In short, tort law is the area of law that covers civil wrongs and harms. In this blog post, we'll give you a crash course in tort law and some helpful tips on what to do if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to file a lawsuit.
A tort is any civil wrong or harm that can be redressed by awarding damages. Torts can be either intentional or unintentional. Intentional torts are those in which the defendant acted with the intention of causing harm. Unintentional torts are those in which the defendant did not intend to cause harm but did so anyway. The most common type of unintentional tort is negligence.
Negligence occurs when the defendant breached their duty of care owed to the plaintiff and as a result, the plaintiff was injured. For example, if a driver runs a red light and hits another car, they would be liable for negligence because they breached their duty of care owed to other motorists on the road. The driver should have known that running a red light could result in an accident, so they are held responsible for any injuries that occur as a result of their actions.
Strict liability is another area of tort law that applies in certain situations. Strict liability means that the defendant can be held liable for damages even if they did not intend to cause harm and even if they took all reasonable precautions to avoid harming the plaintiff. Strict liability usually applies in cases involving defective products or animals.
For example, let's say you buy a new pair of shoes and shortly after wearing them, you develop a blister on your foot. If it can be proven that the shoes were defective, then the shoe company would be strictly liable for your injuries regardless of whether or not they took all reasonable precautions to avoid harming consumers.
We hope this blog post has given you a better understanding of tort law and how it works. Remember, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you've been harmed by someone else's actions, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit. If you're not sure whether or not you have a case, we recommend speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can assess your situation and advise you on your legal options.